


A Not So Miniature Love

by thehobbitfanatic



Category: Night at the Museum (Movies), natm
Genre: M/M, Modern AU, natm bb fic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-10-10
Updated: 2015-10-10
Packaged: 2018-04-25 16:05:07
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 11,398
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4967350
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thehobbitfanatic/pseuds/thehobbitfanatic
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Night at the Museum big bang fanfic!</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. A Tutor Proposition

Rolling his eyes at his teacher, Jedediah lets a sigh escape his mouth. This is the first time that he has ever been told that he has to seek help. That he has to put in the effort to find a tutor. Yeah, sure, maybe a tutor would be helpful but that does not mean that he needs one!

 

His teacher shakes her head, and gently places a hand on his shoulder. “I can find you an appropriate tutor, and set up a meeting, if you’d like. Just so you do not have to do it all yourself.”

 

After a long, dragging moment of thought, Jedediah readjusts a strap on his backpack and smiles up at his teacher. “All right, thanks,” he says. If this doesn't work out, then at least he tried, right? Or…at least his teacher tried.

 

Jedediah’s teacher walks back to her cluttered desk and sits down. Laughter bubbles at her lips, “Always looking for the easy way out, huh Jed?”

 

Jedediah grins as he starts to back away, making his way slowly to the door of the classroom. He tips his signature cowboy hat (which happens to be the only hat allowed in school since he knows the principal) towards her. “I’ll see you tomorrow!” calls out Jedediah as he steps out of the room, and then closes the door behind him.

 

Boots stamping against the tiled floor, Jedediah hurries to his next class: chemistry. The only person he knows in this class is a kind yet hard-worded man named Octavius. For some reason the school had placed Jedediah in a high-level class for this subject and, so far, he has done exceptionally well. Perhaps some of that is because Octavius is there with him.

 

When Jedediah reaches the classroom, he bursts through the door just as the bell rings. He then quickly makes his way to his usual seat at a lab table, with Octavius seated next to him. Octavius gives him a nod of acknowledgement when he reaches the table, to which Jedediah smiles at.

 

As the teacher begins to introduce the lesson, Jedediah nudges Octavius’s elbow with his own. “How y’doin’?” he whispers.

 

Octavius glances over at Jedediah with chocolate eyes. “Quite well, thank you. What about you?”

 

“Pretty good today. I gotta tell you ‘bout something at lunch, though!”

 

Octavius nods his head slightly. “I shall remember to remind you about it then.”

 

With that, the conversation ceases and the two students remain quiet for the rest of the class. At a point where their teacher stops teaching for a moment to find something on his computer to project onto the board, Jedediah glances over at Octavius, a smile growing on his face. When they first met in their earlier school years, they were mortal enemies. Nothing could solve their problems, and no one wished to come to an armistice. But now that they reunited in high school, they grew past their problems and came to find peace with each other. Their hatred blossomed into friendship and it was obvious, for Jedediah, that perhaps it would grow into even more.

 

Or at least, that is what Jedediah hopes. He can’t help but admire the way that Octavius’s eyebrows crease together as he concentrates, and the flawless flow of his graceful writing across paper. Jedediah can’t help but admire the way that he holds his head as he thinks, and…

 

“Jed, can you hit the lights for me?”

 

Jedediah nods his head, shaken out of his thoughts by his teacher. He leans over to the light switch, and switches it off. His teacher then continues the lesson.

 

Time slowly passes as Jedediah takes notes, glances at Octavius and the clock on the wall of the room, and thinks about how he will tell Octavius that he needs a tutor. When the class finally ends, the two friends pack up and begin to head towards their next destination: the cafeteria.

 

Jedediah shakes his head as he walks alongside Octavius in the hall. “I can’t believe he gave us that much homework!”

 

Octavius gently laughs. “It does seem like a lot, yes, but I do not think that it will be hard.”

 

Jedediah slowly nods his head “All right, if y’say so.”

 

The two men claim their usual table that they sit at with friends by placing down their backpacks, then part ways to buy lunch. Jedediah adjusts his hat as he waits in line, and after taking and paying for his lunch, he heads back to the table. Octavius soon arrives, along with a few of their other friends.

 

“So,” says Octavius in-between bites of food. “You said that you had something to tell me?”

 

“Right!” replies Jedediah. He glances around the table, and then looks back at Octavius. “Could we uh…get a table of our own for a minute?”

 

“Yes, we can.” Octavius tilts his head to the side, curious as to what Jedediah could possibly be telling him that would make him want to get a private table to talk at.

 

Jedediah and Octavius rise from their seats. Octavius tells those who are at the table that they will soon return, as Jedediah looks for a vacant table. He finds one that is not too far away, and they depart to sit there for a few minutes.

 

When Octavius looks across the table at Jedediah, whose clear blue eyes seem to sparkle with nervousness. He heaves in a breath of air before opening his mouth to speak. “So uh, I need a tutor.”

 

Octavius raises an eyebrow. “A tutor…?”

 

Jedediah deeply nods. “Yeah, ‘least I was told that I need one.”

 

“In what subject?”

 

Shrugging his shoulders, Jedediah speaks: “I ain’t even know yet.”

 

Octavius methodically taps his fork against his lunch tray. Although he does not seem it, Jedediah is actually a good student, in the classes that he likes, that is. So perhaps that’s what the problem is. "Well," he says after a dragging pause, "If you wish, I would not mind being your tutor."

 

Jedediah’s eyes widen in surprise, trying to hide the excitement he feels for the possibility of spending more time with Octavius "Y-you would?"

 

Slowly nodding his head, Octavius smiles. "Yes, sure. I would not mind."

 

"Then thanks! My teacher said that she'd look for someone herself, but I guess that ain't needed anymore." Jedediah grins.

 

After a moment, Octavius awkwardly coughs, his heart beating against his chest faster than normal at the idea of spending extra time with Jedediah. Does he know that he's volunteering to help on purpose? Is he making fun of him by accepting? "If you should like," says Octavius, "We can go and see her after school together to straighten the affair out."

 

"Oh, yeah! Sure!" Jedediah exclaims, then gently smiles. "Thanks again. Wanna head back?"

 

Octavius nods his head. "Yes, let us return."

 

The two men rise out of their temporary seats, and return to their friends, where they spend the rest of lunch. As the period ends, Octavius and Jedediah make plans to meet by the door of their chemistry class to then go Jedediah’s teacher and discuss Octavius becoming his tutor. Both of them hope that this will become true, yet neither know that the other thinks this.

 

The rest of the school day passes almost uneventfully for both students, because nothing could match up to getting to spend more time with each other. So when the end of the school day arrives, Octavius and Jedediah meet nervously in front their chemistry class. Jedediah takes Octavius to the room of his teacher that had told him he needed a tutor. They knock on the door, then enter.

 

“Ah, Jed!” exclaims his teacher. “What are you doing here again?”

 

“Well, I...we, have an um, idea-” stutters Jedediah, unsure of how to start the conversation, only to be cut off by Octavius’s sonorous voice.

 

“Jedediah told me about how you were seeking to find him a tutor. I would be willing to tutor him.” he says politely.

 

Jedediah’s teacher smiles and stands up from her seat. “You’d be okay with doing that?”

 

Octavius nods. “I would be, yes.”

 

The teacher remains silent for a moment before clapping her hands together. “All right! I can give you a short list right now of the topics that you need to go over, if you’d be okay with waiting a few minutes. Then you can come back tomorrow, and I’ll make sure to have a more detailed summary printed for you.”

 

“Sure, we can wait!” says Jedediah with a grin.

 

His teacher sits back down and turns to her computer to type out the list as Octavius and Jedediah find two chairs to sit down in as they wait. Jedediah takes his hat off and places it on his lap. “W-we can make the study sessions fun, right?” he asks bashfully.

 

Octavius suppresses a smile, unwilling to show his feelings too much. “I shall try to make them interesting for you.”

 

Jedediah nervously laughs. This is actually happening, he is actually going to spend more time than ever before with Octavius. Only in his daydreams has this ever happened before.

 

The two men casually chat as Jedediah's teacher types out the list of topics for the pair. It takes no more than five minutes before the list is finished, printed out, and in the hands of Octavius.

 

"Thank you," says Octavius politely.

 

"I'm sure he'll become a stellar student under your watch!" Jedediah's teacher smiles.

 

Octavius returns the gesture, and the two men leave the classroom. When the door closes behind them, Jedediah releases a large breath. Octavius arches an eyebrow. "It was not that bad."

 

Jedediah shakes his head monotonously. "You ain't the one who needs a tutor."

 

Octavius's shrugs his shoulders. "Fair enough, I suppose."

 

When they reach the end of the hallway, they turn to face each other. Jedediah tentatively grins at the other man. “See you tomorrow?”

 

“Yes of course, and then we can plan when to meet for our first tutoring session.” Octavius says, and as he nods his head in agreement, he can’t help but reveal the smile pulling at his lips this time.

 

The two men part ways. Jedediah walks down a flight of stairs, exits the school, and walks towards his car. It’s only when he grasps door handle that he notices his hands are shaking. So, while resting against his car, he takes a moment to breathe in fresh air and calm down. Why is he so worked up, anyways?

 

Jedediah internally laughs at himself. Of course he knows why he is worked up: Octavius, and the fact that he now will be spending much more time with him. Together. Alone. His heart beats excitably at the thought and he can feel blood rushing to his cheeks.

 

When the moment has passed and he is able to hold his hands up without them trembling, he gets into his car and makes his way back to his ever so lonely house. Moving away from home not only gave him the independence he craved, but it was a way to help his family stay away from the possibility of crippling debt. He sends them a small part of his wages every month too, just to help out. The money comes from a job he managed to get nearby, and thankfully the boss likes him so he always gets little bonuses here and there.

 

At first, he hadn’t minded moving away, but lately, Octavius has created a thirst for human interaction that overtakes him upon occasion. The sheer need for contact seems to hit him like a crash of waves around his heart. Sometimes, Jedediah thinks that maybe the other man does not feel the same way, that he is only bothering Octavius; but nevertheless he enjoys his company the best he can.

 

When he reaches his small house, he parks his car in the driveway, gets out, locks it and then makes his way to the front door, unlocking it. He thinks to himself about the tutor sessions over and over again, repeating in his head that this will be a good thing and will not turn into a disaster. Not only will Jedediah be studying, he will be be learning from Octavius. But he won't only be learning about school, he’ll be learning about Octavius.

 

Something he's always wanted to do.

 

Octavius smiles to himself as he walks home slowly on the concrete sidewalk.

 

Today turned out better than he had expected, and Jedediah greatly added to not only the momentary happiness, but also his future happiness. Given that now he is Jedediah's tutor and they will be spending much more time together out of school, Octavius will be able to get to know Jedediah more.

  
Perhaps even learn the story behind his cowboy hat.


	2. A Coffee Date

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Octavius, as a student, works at a coffee shop. Jedediah comes in everyday crushing on Oct.

Octavius smiles meekly across the counter at the customer who had just ordered a drink. As a student, he was able to find a job at this coffee shop, and he became quite good with balancing his school work with his actual work. The customer pays for their drink, and then Octavius goes to make and bring the drink back to the customer. He bids them farewell, and then methodically greets the next customer in line.

Sitting in his car, Jedediah takes in a shaky breath of air. Maybe he should leave. Start up the car, drive away, and come back another time. But if he does that... he may not have the same opportunity as he does right now. Stuck in an internal battle of whether to get out of his car and go inside the coffee shop or to merely leave, Jedediah buries his face into his hands.

In a split second decision, he opens the car door, steps outside, and closes it behind him. Locking the doors, Jedediah takes his first nervous step forward. He can’t go back now, because if he does, he’ll never have enough confidence to come back again.

Slowly, step by step, he makes his way towards the front door of the quaint coffee shop. Jedediah opens the door, and steps inside. Just as he had feared, Octavius notices him right away.

But what he had not expected was for him to smile excitedly and wave. Jedediah tentatively smiles back, and looks over the menu, finding something to order. His eyes dart around the menu for a minute, and he has to physically take a step backwards for a moment so that he can focus more easily. Deciding to go with a simple regular coffee, he gets in line and patiently waits. His heart races and he begins to sweat, but nevertheless he tries to ignore the nervousness that is bubbling up inside.

When he finally reaches the counter, Octavius smiles brightly. “Hello, Jed!” he says enthusiastically.

“H-howdy. I’ll jus’ have a regular small coffee.”

Octavius nods and goes to make his order as Jedediah fishes out his wallet from his pocket. His hand reaches the bottom of pocket. Jedediah’s face drops. He must have forgotten his wallet in the car. “Shit, this can’t be happenin’...” he whispers under his breath.

For a moment he contemplates running out of the shop.

Octavius returns with his drink, and Jedediah swallows apprehensively. “Uh, I forgot my wallet in the car, Oct. If y’can wait a moment, I’ll go an’ get it.”

“Here,” says Octavius, holding out the coffee to Jedediah. “You can have it on the house.”

Jedediah slowly takes the cup, and then grins. “Thanks. But ah, can we talk once you finish your shift…?”

Octavius laughs. “If it’s about the coffee, don’t worry! You can pay me some other time!”

Jedediah nervously smiles. Octavius nods his head, however, confirming that he will talk to Jedediah once he finishes. With his fingers wrapped tightly around the cup of coffee, Jedediah finds and sits in a comfortable seat in the shop. He lets out a shaky breath, and then smiles at himself, proud that he was able to do all of this, even though he did mess up.

Octavius watches nonchalantly as Jedediah walks over to a window seat in the corner of the shop, and sits down. Pressing a hand against his chest, he waits a moment for his heart to stop beating so fast. He did not know that Jedediah knew where he worked. Nor does he know what Jed wants to talk about after he finishes his shift. Before he can think about what has just happened more thoroughly, a customer walks up to the counter and Octavius has to turn his attention elsewhere.

After taking a small sip of the steamy coffee, Jedediah gazes around the coffee shop. From the outside it only looks like a quaint, walk-in and then leave coffee shop. But when you go inside, the walls give way to a modern, simple coffee shop with a few chairs, booths, and sofas for those who need to take a moment to relax more comfortably.

How did Octavius ever manage to get a job here? It’s not like the shop is new, either. Nevertheless, Jedediah is glad that he does have a job here, for without it, this opportunity would have not arisen.

But right now, he has to think about how he should ask Octavius out on a date. His mind whirls just at the thought of what could happen. What if he gets rejected? What if he had read the signs wrong, and Octavius actually wants nothing to do with him at all? Shaking his head lightly, he takes another sip of his drink. He is here, and he has asked to talk to Octavius. He has to go through with it, and he cannot back out and make up a different excuse as to why he wanted to talk.

He has to at least try and ask Octavius out on a date.

Taking a few more long sips of his coffee, Jedediah turns his head and attention out of the window that he is sitting near. Rain is gently pattering against the pavement as well as the glass of the window, rolling down in droplets and creating rivulets down the glass. Jedediah shivers. Hopefully the rain is not a bad omen of his own impending sadness.

Turning his head back to look around the shop, his eyes naturally land on Octavius and watch him as he works. He works with what seems like natural grace and patience, especially if the customer takes a long time to decide their order... or if they forget their wallet. Jedediah scoffs at himself.

Minutes of waiting for Octavius to finish his shift pass, and Jedediah finds himself looking outside to watch the rain as a distraction. It may not be much for entertainment, but at least it is methodical. He does not want to pull out and use his phone, either, at least not yet. If anything, he wants to show Octavius that he can calm down and spend some quiet time relaxing.

After Jedediah takes one last sip of his coffee, he glances over at Octavius. He blushes, surprised, when their eyes meet. Octavius gives him a small nod, and then turns back to the last customer that is standing in front of the counter.

Part of Jedediah knows that he should looks away, but he doesn't. He watches as Octavius politely smiles, takes the customer's order, and goes to make the drink after they have paid.

Jedediah slowly rises from his seat, carrying the remnants of his coffee to the trash. After a brief moment of thought, he exits the shop so to retrieve his forgotten wallet from his car. Dodging through the rain drops, he unlocks the car and leans inside to pluck out his wallet, re-locks the doors, and then hustles back inside the coffee shop.

As he walks, he decides that perhaps he should try one of the shop's other drinks. He walks up to the counter, expecting to be greeted by Octavius, but is surprised to see that he is not there. Maybe he’s just checking out of work…? He couldn’t have just left, could he? Would Octavius do something that like? Jedediah politely turns his mind away from the matter and orders his drink, pays for it, and then slowly walks over to the seat that he had been sitting in. He sighs, and looks out the window once more.

“Okay hey, I am sorry that took so long!” says a voice nearby Jedediah’s chair.

Jedediah swivels his head around towards the source of the sound, which is now dragging a chair next to Jedediahs’. His face brightens up when he sees that it is Octavius. “Don’t worry about it,” replies Jed.

Octavius sits himself down on the chair, and then faces Jedediah, who takes another sip of his drink. “So,” says Octavius, “What did you want to talk about?”

Jedediah drags out the moment by slowly swallowing a sip of the frothy drink. “W-well first, how are you?”

Octavius smiles. “I am well, thank you for asking, and I just got out of work. How are you?”

“I reckon I’m alright,” Jedediah nervously replies. He has to ask. He has to do this. There is no going back now. “So um... I wanted to ask you somethin’.”

Octavius tilts his head, his interest piqued. “Yeah?” he questions, “What is it?”

Jedediah is silent for a moment before finally speaking. “Do you want to maybe, go out on a, uh, date sometime…?” he blushes embarrassingly at his stuttering.

Octavius takes a minute to think through Jedediah’s proposition. His heart thumps nervously against his chest at the idea of being alone with Jedediah. A date? That could be fun. Or it could be ruinous if he were to blurt out the wrong thing. Octavius berates himself. He should not say that. For all he knows, it could go perfectly well. After barely thinking about the proposition, Octavius says the first thing that comes to his mind: “Ask me another time.”

Jedediah’s eyes widen in surprise. Another... time? Isn’t that just about a refusal of what he asked? “O-oh,” he quickly replies, “I reckon I can do that.”

Before Octavius can correct himself or change his answer, Jedediah nods his head at Octavius, his hand tightening against the cup of his drink. He jerks himself out of the seat. Taking the rest of the drink with him, he makes his way to the door of the shop, and then to the door of his car.

Inside, Octavius swears underneath his breath, Why did he say that?!

Whether it was out of nervousness or because he genuinely did not know what to say, it seems like he has scared Jedediah off. Octavius groans. That is just about the opposite of what he wants to do. He watches as Jedediah drives away, and then Octavius rises from his seat and returns it to where it originally was.

Perhaps he’ll see Jedediah tomorrow and he can clear things up.

But when tomorrow does arrive and Octavius gets out of school and, after a while, goes to work, the events that then conspire surprise him. The work day begins normally, just as it usually does, but after a few hours passed, he notices a car pull up to the store. A car that he recognizes. Jedediah’s car to be exact. What is Jedediah doing here again, especially after what happened yesterday…?

Octavius is forced to turn his attention away as a customer walks up to the counter to order. He quickly fills the order and then turns to look nervously at the door of the shop, but no one enters. Is Jedediah just sitting in his car? He wonders, and his gaze lingers on the door for a moment before he sighs, and turns back to the counter. His hand quickly raises up to his chest as he sees Jedediah in front of the counter, “I thought you were still…”

Jedediah smiles. “You were busy when I came inside.”

“Right, of course.”

Jedediah orders the same drink that he did with Octavius yesterday, and this time pays for it. When he takes the drink out of Octavius’s hand, Jedediah shyly looks up at Octavius’s face. “So,” he begins to say, “I came back to ask y’again.”

Octavius blushes. “U-um…” he stutters, “I still do not know…”

Jedediah deeply nods his head. “That’s okay.” After a moment, he cheekily smiles. “I’ll jus’ come back ‘till you’ve thought it through an’ made a decision.”

And so that is exactly what happens. Every day after school when Octavius is at work, Jedediah drives to the coffee shop and orders the same thing that he had ordered the first day that he went inside.

Each day, he asks whether Octavius has decided yet, and for a long two weeks, he is without a decision. Soon enough, however, Octavius finally gives his answer.

 **  
** He would be willing to go on a date with Jedediah.


	3. Love through Email

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Compilation of love emails to and from Oct and Jed as they attend different colleges.

My dear Jedediah,

I hope all is well over at your college. I know it has not been long since we parted ways to go to separate colleges, but I felt the need to check up on you and make sure that all has settled down well. Perhaps one day we can plan to visit each other? I would quite enjoy that. Anyways, all is well on my side of the story. I myself has settled down quite well at my college, and my dorm has been furnished and set up. Perhaps I will try to get an apartment, so that you may stay for a longer of time when you visit. Anyhow, I hope things are doing well for you. Please respond when you get the chance after seeing this.

Pax vobiscum,

Octavius

~~~

Hey Octavius,

I got your email, Oct! Thanks for the concern! I reckon things are doing good on this side of the coin as well! I was able to settle down and set up camp at my dorm, so I'm glad we've both been able to do that. You've probably already signed up for classes, right? What are you taking, Oct? Anyways, enough of school talk! I miss you already, as well as our dates. I guess it definitely payed off going and asking you each day until you had a definite answer! I'd love if you could get an apartment for you to stay at, and us for when I can visit! Course, you ain't have to do it and I don't want you to feel pressured into getting one, either. Just do what you can! Ah well, I gotta so I’ll end this email here! Talk to you again when you respond!

-Jed

~~~

Dear Jedediah,

It is quite good hearing from you, and that you have settled in fairly well. Yes, of course I have already signed up for classes. Other than my Latin class, I am taking the usual “freshman” classes. I hope that by next year perhaps I can find a major that truly interests me. What about you? Have you chosen any classes? Or do you have a particular major in mind yet? It is perfectly fine if you do not. Nevertheless, I too miss you, and as you are glad that you asked, I am glad that I finally said yes. As for the apartment, given the amount of money that I set aside from all of my work at that coffee shop and other small jobs, perhaps I should have enough for an apartment. I would need to get another job to keep up with the rent, but I was going to look for one anyways. Thank you for your care.

It is very queer being away from you. I became so used to seeing you practically every day, that now it is strange to wake up and not see you soon after. Maybe we can meet up over the first vacation that we both share? That would be nice. And I know our relationship has not been for very long yet, but I do hope that we can get through college together. Frequent visits and emails and phones calls should help. Hopefully.

Pax vobiscum,

Octavius

~~

Octavius,

Hi again! Glad to hear back from you too! I think I’m just takin’ regular freshman classes too, since I’m kinda undecided right now as well. Maybe we’ll decide our majors at the same time! Wouldn’t that be something? But hey, i’ll get a job over here and help pitch in, especially if I’m going to be staying there during my visits! Possibly during the summer, too…? It’s a thought, boy, it’s definitely a thought. We’ll figure something out, though. We always do.

It really is weird being away from each other, huh? I’m used to calling you every day to figure out what we’ll be doing, if anything, for the day. Now we really only email each other. We could call each other, but we may not be able to tell each other everything that we need to at the time. So emailing back and forth works better. Anyways...yeah, I think it’d be real nice to meet up as soon as we can! Course, if either of us has a big project going on then we don’t have to, unless we’d like to help each other with it! I hope that we’ll be able to get through this together as well! And I’m sure we will, boy, I’m sure we will.

-Jed

~~

Dear Jedediah,

Oh, Jed. I am so embarrassed. I was in my Latin class yesterday and I raised my hand to give an answer. I gave the correct one, but the professor did not believe it was correct. Therefore the professor said that I was mistaken. One of my fellow students corrected him, and he did apologize, but I still remain mortified. That was supposed to be my best and favorite class. Why did it have to be ruined? I hope you are faring much better than I right now.

Nevertheless, the rest of my classes are fairly well. Nothing that bad has happened like that in any other class. And I have met a few fellow students who I could consider friends. I should like to say that the beginning of my year has been good. And how about yours? How have you been lately, and how have your classes been going so far? Have you met any nice students, or any interesting activities? Write back when you have the time.

Pax vobiscum,

Octavius

~~~

Octavius!

Wow partner, I'm really sorry to hear that your Latin class didn't go as you hoped that day. Next time you should sound real smart, like I know you are, and make sure he knows you know the language! Don't worry too much about it, boy. It'll be alright! And it sounds like you have a friend in that class already! So seriously, don't worry too much. It ain't ruined yet, and it'll feel like your favorite class soon enough again.

Glad to hear that the rest of your classes are going well though. As for me, my classes have been going well so far! They're a bit boring right now, but hopefully it'll be more interested as the courses continue! And nothin’ like what happened to you has happened to me. Though I'd rather it had been me than you! Only cuz I know it wouldn't bother me as much as it bothers you. Anyways! I've met a few people around campus, but not really anyone I'd consider a friend yet. I'd call them more of acquaintances than anything else. As for activities, nothing yet. I mean, I've looked at a few things that maybe I'll try, but it's a bit too early to see if I'll be interested in them in the long run. How about you, anything yet? I hope your classes are goin better now. Talk to you soon again!

-Jed

~~~

Dear Jedediah,

Thank you for the quick response. It helped to calm me down. And as I speak of this, I apologize how long it took for me to reply. I have had a few busy weeks of both school work as well as actual work. Of course, however, I shall always find time for you. As you suggested, the next time that he called on me, I did “sound real smart,” and this time he knew that I had given the correct answer. So thank you once again for your support, Jed. I very much appreciate it, as well as you. But do you think so? Could that person who corrected the teacher be considered a friend? Now that I think about it more, perhaps they could. I should thank them for what they did, then, and see what comes of that. Once again, as you said, the class has begun to feel like my favorite class already.

As you are glad that the rest of my classes are going well, I am glad that your classes are going well too. The beginning of classes can always be a bit repetitive, so I do think that you should find your classes becoming more interesting as they continue and the discussions deepen. As for activities, you should try those that you have found! If you do not try them, you cannot know completely if you will enjoy them or not. I have not yet found any activities, but perhaps that is because I haven’t really looked for any yet. The beginning of my college career has been busy, especially because I have been able to find a job. But with that job, I shall be able to eventually get an apartment! That is quite the exciting thought. And this job, by the way, it quite similar to the job I had at the coffee shop. I like it.

I know that we have mainly talked about school and some of the future and how our days have been going in these emails, but I would just like to add a small part of us to that conversation. For I do miss you frequently. I always seem to be finding myself looking around for you, forgetting that we are not going to the same college. It truly is strange being away from you. We grew very close in the years that we have known each other, and being apart is quite the change. I hope that we can continue to stay close, even with this distance that exists between us when we are not visiting each other. Stay safe.

Pax vobiscum,

Octavius

~~~

Hey Oct,

Don’t worry about if you can’t reply for some time! It’s all right! As long as you can eventually send me a message so that I know you’re okay, it’ll be fine. It’s great to hear that you’re Latin class is back on track now! I do think that classmate can be considered a friend, and that sounds like a good way to start a conversation with them. Good luck for when you decide to do that! And hey! That’s awesome to hear that you found a job, and it sounds like a good one! I’ll have to try to find one too, so I can afford to visit you as much as I want during our vacations. As for school, it’s just like you say! Some of my classes have begun to grow interestin’, so hopefully the rest will soon too! And maybe I will try out some of the activities I’ve found. One by one, of course, but I’ll still try ‘em. Hopefully you’ll find some that interests you too!

Hey, I miss you too, Octavius. I know exactly what you’re talking about. So while we’re on this topic...do you want to come over for a few days when you don’t have school? I know you have a few days consecutively without classes, so why not come over? There’s actually a party on campus that’s going to happen in a few weeks, so you can come over for that! You know, of course, if you want to and if you can afford it. But it’s a thought! So think about it, partner, and get back to me when you can!

-Jedediah

~~

Dear Jedediah,

A party…? I don’t know about that. As for going to your college for those few days, I would quite love to. It would be a good break from my school, and I will be able to see you and your college as well. So I shall visit! I just am not sure about this party… who will be there? And I will not know anyone at your school. Perhaps me attending the party is not a good idea. I do not know. I apologize that this is such a short email.

Pax vobiscum,

Octavius

~~~

Octavius,

You ain’t have to know anyone at the party to have a good time! And maybe it’s better that you don’t know anyone, cuz then it doesn’t matter what happens, for they won’t know who you are. Plus, you probably won’t see any of them again. And anyways, I’ll be there with you! We’ll be having fun together, and I’m sure that it’ll help you destress from all of the work that you already have to deal with. Don’t worry too much, Oct! It’ll be fun, and like I said, I’ll be there with you! If anything, I’m glad to hear that you want to visit, and I can’t wait to see you again!

-Jed

~~~

Dear Jedediah,

Oh...all right. I suppose we can at least check out the party. As you say, perhaps it will be fun. And yes, you will be with me. At least I shall have you with me. Then it is settled. I shall visit you in a few weeks, and we shall check out that party.

But for now, focus on your school work! All you have to tell me is when I should be there, and I will be there. You will have to pick me up at the airport, but other than that, you do not have to worry about anything else. In the meantime, shall we casually plan what we should do on the other days that I am there? It will not be for long, but at least we will be able to see each other.  I cannot wait to visit you.

Pax vobiscum,

  
Octavius


	4. A Breakthrough Party

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jed drags Oct to a college party as they visit each other.

Octavius nervously runs his fingers through his hair one more time, and then straightens out his clothes. He glances over at Jedediah, who is currently pulling on a clean shirt. Octavius then takes in a deep breath. Maybe going to this party is a bad idea. Maybe they should instead go out to eat while Octavius is still here. That sounds better...right? He shakes his head. There is no way that Jedediah will let him out of this, now that there is only an hour remaining until they are supposed to arrive at the party. But he still wishes there was a way to convince Jedediah about his worries.

Jedediah suppresses a grin when he notices Octavius worrying over their plans for the night. Of course, not because he is making fun of him, but because he knows that once they arrive and Octavius gets used to his surroundings, he will begin to have fun. Hopefully. If it does happen to come to the point where Octavius is not having any fun and only wishes to leave, then they will leave. But for now, they are going to a party at Jedediah's college.

"How long until we have to leave...?" questions Octavius.

Jedediah glances at a clock on his wall, it's angry numbers proclaiming the time. "’Bout ten or so minutes now," he says with a smile, "Ain't you gotta worry 'bout bein' late, though."

"I was not worried, I was merely curious!”

“I’m sure, I’m sure…”

Octavius blushes out of embarrassment. He turns away from the mirror that he was standing in front of, and goes to sit down on the edge of a chair in Jedediah’s room. Taking the few minutes that he does have left before they leave, he relaxes as best he can. After all, he did just travel to come and see Jedediah at his college after a mere few weeks of planning. Glancing around Jedediah’s room, he smiles. It is furnished quite well—much more than Octavius’s room—and seems homely. Plus, all the better that it is Jedediah’s room. A few posters are plastered on the walls, but they are mainly related to cowboys or something that Octavius suggested. He smiles gently, happy to see that Jedediah can listen if he wants to.

“Okay!” says Jedediah after he finishes brushing down a few stray strands of blonde hair. “I’m ready to go!”

Octavius looks over at Jedediah and smiles. “I thought you said we did not have to leave just yet…?”

Jedediah waves his hand at Octavius, gesturing for him to follow him out of the room. “We’ll take our time gettin’ there!”

Octavius takes a long moment to rise from his seat and begin to follow Jedediah. It is definitely too late to convince Jedediah to do something else now. Jedediah closes the door to his room behind them, and then he takes the lead to guide Octavius towards where the party will be located. As they walk alongside each other, Octavius gazes around at the campus of Jedediah’s college. It is larger than Octavius's college, but no less scenic.

Before Octavius knows it, Jedediah halts in front of a door with music filtering out through the cracks. Jedediah glances over at Octavius and grins. He gently squeezes Octavius's shoulder. "It'll be alright!" says Jedediah assuringly. Right as Octavius opens his mouth to reply, Jedediah pulls him inside of the house. Organized chaos is what he sees inside the house, with people chatting and dancing and resting and sitting down and doing a number of other things. Jedediah directs Octavius towards the host of the party, just so that they can feel welcomed into the party. The woman smiles brightly when she sees Jedediah walking towards her, his hand still on Octavius’s shoulder to make sure that they do not lose each other.

“Hello!” says the woman in a gentle tone.

“Hey!” replies Jedediah. “I know you really only briefly invited me, but I thought I’d show up!”

She smiles, and turns her attention towards Octavius. Octavius sweats nervously under her naturally flirtatious gaze. “And who might this be?” she kindly asks.

“His name’s—”

“Octavius,” says Octavius, cutting off Jed from introducing him instead of letting him do it for himself.

“Well, Octavius,” she says with a smile, “I hope you enjoy the party.”

The host waves goodbye to Octavius and Jedediah, and then saunters off towards what looks like a kitchen. Jedediah grins. “C’mon, we should go dance!”

Octavius interlocks his fingers together, and leans against the nearest wall. “Oh, I don’t know, maybe we should stay here and just observe for awh—”

Jedediah cuts off Octavius’s words with gentle laughter. “C’mon!” he repeats, and then he grabs onto one of Octavius’s hands. He drags him away from the wall and towards the dance floor. Octavius reluctantly follows him. When they arrive at the floor, the song changes and the pair soon find themselves dancing along with everyone else. Although they stick together and never stray far from each other, both of them meet a few new people who they exchange first names with. To Octavius’s surprise, he actually begins to have fun.

About an hour into their dancing, Octavius takes Jedediah away from the dance floor to rest for at least a few minutes. Jedediah grins when they take a seat next to a window. “Seems like you’re havin’ some fun, boy.”

Octavius blushes, his cheeks already reddened from all of the dancing they had done. “Yes, you could say so.”

The music continues to play around the two men as most of everyone else at the party continue to dance. Octavius gazes around the room as Jedediah finishes catching his breath. “Do you know anyone else here?” questions Octavius.

Jedediah raises his head and looks around the room for a moment before noncommittally shaking his head. “No one that I’ve talked to before, and only a few that I’ve seen around campus a few times.”

Octavius slowly nods his head. How could Jedediah seem so confident without knowing anyone here, then? It must be in his genes. Octavius takes in a few more deep breaths, and soon a question nestles itself into his mind. “Hey...Jed?”

“Yeah?”

“How long do we plan to stay here for?”

Jedediah takes a moment to answer. He tilts his head to the side in thought. Until the party ends? Until Octavius wants to leave? Or until he wants to leave? “How about…” he finally says over the music, “Until we both want to leave?”

Octavius grimaces, for who knows how long Jedediah will want to stay for, but he nods nonetheless. As long as Jedediah is having fun, maybe he will too.

“Wanna head back to the floor now, boy?” asks Jedediah.

“Yes, sure.”

But before they can get up and step back onto the dance floor, the host saunters up to where the men are sitting. She holds two cups in her hands, and she smiles down at both of them. “Need a drink?” she asks, offering them the cups.

Octavius and Jedediah exchange glances with each other before accepting the drinks, which are obviously alcoholic. Jedediah takes a sip, and then stands up. He thanks the host again, who nods her head before walking away. Bringing their drinks with them, Octavius and Jedediah make their way back to the dance floor, where they continue to dance while draining their cups. Once what feels to be an hour of dancing passes, they exit the dance floor for a few minutes to retrieve refills of their drinks. After this pattern repeats a few more times, both Octavius and Jedediah begin to feel the effects of the alcohol. Both men grow more open and loose, but Octavius becomes even more observant. They abandon the last of their drinks and go back to the dance floor, where they begin to dance much closer together than they had before.

As the sun descends outside of the house, the spirits inside rise. By now, almost everyone, except a few people, have spent time on the dance floor. Octavius and Jedediah have become acquainted with a few, but mainly danced and talked amongst each other. At one point, the host of the party joins them again.

“Y’all enjoying yourselves?” she asks sweetly.

Octavius nods his head and smiles. Jedediah grins. “Definitely!” says Jedediah.

“I am glad to hear that. Shall we all get one last drink and then dance together? I’ll join you this time!”

“Yes, thank you,” replies Octavius.

So the three of them go to the counter where all of the drinks are kept, and pour themselves their own drinks. They chat amongst each other for a while, and once they have finished their drinks, they go back to the dance floor. The host dances alongside them, her eyes gleaming with a knowing look.

Octavius’s heart beats loudly in his head. All of his senses are intensified, and his emotions seem to drag out and nestle themselves into his mind without him knowing. A smile slips onto his face, and his eyes look over towards Jedediah. He watches him dance for a few minutes, and both of them blush once Jedediah looks back at Octavius. Octavius drags his eyes away from Jedediah to prevent further embarrassment, but Jedediah lets his eyes linger on Octavius for a few minutes longer.

Is it the fact that he had alcohol, or does Octavius look rather handsome tonight? Jedediah shakes his head gently to himself and looks away from Octavius. He probably has had too much to drink. He shouldn’t bother with thinking through the situation. Sure, he thinks Octavius is handsome tonight, why should that be anything more than just that? They’re together anyways, so it would be natural for him to think that. But...but why is there an incessant feeling in the back of his mind, one that he cannot dissect? What does it want him to do?

When Octavius politely excuses himself to go to the bathroom for a moment, Jedediah almost doesn’t want him to go alone. What if someone flirts with him on his way there or back? Jedediah inwardly groans. Since when did he get so jealous? Maybe they should get ready to leave sometime soon.

As Octavius returns to where he had left Jedediah, he looks around and observes the house. It seems like most everyone has had a drink, and by now, many of them have stopped dancing to rest on the sidelines and have some food. Octavius continues to trudge forward.

Before Octavius can announce his arrival back or even smile to say hello, his lips are covered by another pair, those of which belong to someone that he knows: Jedediah. His mind slowly processes the events in front of him, but he still kisses Jedediah back. When they part, Jedediah sheepishly smiles.

“S-sorry,” he stutters, “I ah, jus’...”

Octavius shakes his head, and then he laughs. “It’s alright. Do not worry. But…” Octavius pauses, the beat of the song reverberating through his body. He then blushes. “But I-I should like to repeat that.”

Jedediah shyly smiles. “Course.”

  
Octavius and Jedediah meet once again as the music slows into a calm and peaceful song. And for the rest of the night, they remain hand-in-hand.


	5. A Snowy Day

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Oct and Jed are stuck inside during a blizzard at Octavius’s apartment as Jed visits him at his college.

Clear, curious blue eyes follow the paths of raging snowflakes that fall and press themselves against the windowpane that he is looking out of. Snow has already begun to build up against the bottom of the window, as well as on the ground outside. Jedediah sighs, and walks over to a couch that is comfortably situated in front of a TV that is mounted on a wall in Octavius’s apartment. It was Jedediah’s turn to visit, but neither of them had expected it to snow.

Jedediah looks over at Octavius, who is watching the news channel on his TV. The weather is playing. Octavius glances over at Jedediah, and shakes his head. “They think that,” he says, “This shall turn out to be a blizzard.”

Jedediah groans. “So we’re stuck here ‘till it ends?”

Octavius raises an eyebrow. “Is that such a bad thing…?”

“W-well not necessarily! I was jus’ hopin’ that we’d be able to go an’ explore your campus!”

Octavius nods his head understandingly. “Perhaps we still can, as long as you do not mind a bit of snow…?”  
  


Jedediah laughs. “Y’heard ‘em Oct, a snowstorm! We can’t go out in those conditions!”

“Yes, yes, I know.”

Jedediah moves closer to Octavius on the couch. “And anyways,” he murmurs, “I’m content jus’ bein’ here with you.”

Octavius smiles. “Alright, what shall we do then?”

Jedediah takes a minute to think. “Well, we could uh…” He pauses for a moment, distracted by the flashing lights of the TV for a moment. “Do stuff, I guess.”

Octavius chuckles, and reaches for the TV remote so that he can turn down the volume. “And just what does ‘stuff’ include, Jed?”

Jedediah shrugs his shoulders. “Whatever we can find that’s interestin’ to do!”

“All right...that does not really slim down the options.”

“Okay, fine! Let’s watch the snow for a while and jus’ have hot chocolate….d’ya have hot chocolate?”

Octavius nods his head. “I do, yes.” He gets up from his couch and goes over to where the kitchen is located. “How long should we do this activity for?”

“For as long as we feel like it!” says Jedediah, with a shrug of his shoulder.

Octavius shakes his head, but smiles. “I suppose we can.”

Jedediah rises from the couch to go and aid Octavius. He opens the hot chocolate packets as Octavius takes out two mugs for them to use. After a moment of thought and a playful gleam in his eye, he takes a small pinch of the chocolate mixture, and when Octavius turns around to have Jedediah pour it into the mugs, he dabs the mixture onto Octavius’s nose. Octavius blinks, confused, before he realizes what Jedediah did.

“J-Jedediah!”

Holding in laughter, Jedediah makes another dot with chocolate, but on Octavius’s cheek. Octavius purses his lips together. Taking the packet from Jedediah, he too takes a pinch of the chocolate and then puts a streak of it over Jedediah’s face, who laughs even more. A smiles creeps onto Octavius’s face, and they go back and forth, decorating each other’s faces with chocolate for a few solid minutes before deciding to finally clean up.

“That was a distraction, Jed!”

Jedediah impishly smiles. “So what?”

“I thought we were going to make hot chocolate.”

“And we still can!”

Octavius smiles and shakes his head. “I shall get new packets, then.”

Jedediah chuckles, and takes the mugs from Octavius so that he can go and get new hot chocolate packets. When he returns, he pours them into the mugs, without letting Jedediah make another mess, and then they retrieve milk and hot water to complete the concoction.

“Hey, Oct?” asks Jedediah.

“Yes?”

“D’ya have any marshmallows?”

Octavius nods his head. “In the cabinet,” he says, nudging his head in the direction of where it is, “on the bottom shelf.”

By the time that they have finished creating their hot chocolate and have gone over to the window to sit and watch the snowflakes, a soft, 4 inch deep blanket of snow has already been created. They gaze out of the window sitting side by side in silence. After a few lovely, silent moments, Jedediah gets another idea. He grins. “Hey, Oct?”

Octavius sighs, for he was just beginning to enjoy the peace. “Yes?”

“We should go out an’ throw snowballs.”

Octavius rolls his eyes and smiles. “At each other…?”

Jedediah grins. “Or at other people, or other things. Doesn’t really matter!”

Octavius heaves out a breath, and takes a sip out of his steamy warm mug so to give himself some time to think. "All right," he finally says, "But after we finish relaxing."

Jedediah slowly nods his head, and playfully pouts. "Okay, fine."

Octavius lets out a laugh. "This was your suggestion in the first place!"

Shrugging his shoulders, Jedediah takes down a mouthful of hot chocolate. “Sure,” he says, “An’ then I got another idea! I ain’t seein’ you havin’ any ideas about what we should do.”

Octavius shakes his head. “All right, okay.”

Silence envelops Octavius’s apartment. Both Octavius and Jedediah sip at their drinks, watching the snowflakes swirl down in masses and build up on the piles of snow already on the ground. Jedediah glances over at Octavius, and after a moment of thought, he slowly begins to scootch himself next to Octavius so that they are closer. Octavius only notices when Jedediah gently lays his head on Octavius’s shoulder. He smiles, and slightly lowers his shoulder so that Jedediah can more easily rest his head.

When both of their cups have been drained, they rise from their seats to place the cups in the sink. Octavius walks out of the kitchen, and when he glances back at Jedediah, he laughs at the grin that is on his face. “Yes,” says Octavius finally, “We may go outside now and throw snowballs.”

Jedediah excitedly claps his hands together. “I reckon it’s a good thing I brought an extra change o’ clothes.”

“Perhaps it is, yes.”

Together, Octavius and Jedediah prepare and put on boots so that they can go outside, and then prepare more for their snowball fight with each other and other people as well, if there are any. Jedediah at one point takes a scarf away from Octavius, and then helps him put it on. When they are finished dressing in warmth and checking the weather one last time, Octavius opens his front door for Jedediah. Softly chatting, they walk down a set of stairs, and then reach the front door of the apartment complex. Sure, they will have to probably go to a nearby area to be able to have the space to play, but it will not take a long time.

So they begin the trek through what snow has already built up, pressed up against each other for warmth. Jedediah pulls down his hat. “I-It’ll be worth it,” he says slowly, “You’ll see!”

Octavius icily smiles. “I sure hope so.”

It seems as if they will not have to be alone when they create snowballs, for two other friends are outside in the same area that they were heading towards. From afar, they can only see that one of them has a wintry hat with ear flaps, while the other has a fuzzy scarf that is engulfing her long, tightly braided hair. They have built a snowman, and when Octavius and Jedediah exchange glances, they know that neither of them will aim to destroy it. If anything, the snowman will be the only one to survive this snowball war.

When the pair reaches the field of snow, they are greeted by the woman, who names herself as Sacagawea. The other man identifies himself by Theodore--or Teddy. Octavius and Jedediah reciprocate, and reply with their names. Then they begin to build up a stockpile of snowballs. At first, Sacagawea and Teddy don’t seem interested with what the two men are doing, but after they throw their first snowballs, one goes astray and smites Teddy in the face. He turns his attention towards Octavius and Jedediah, and joins their fight. Sacagawea follows, and soon enough they are all against each other, hiding and making snowballs for a final showdown.

When that time arrives, Sacagawea dodges stray snowballs and makes her way over to Octavius, where they make a pact to fight together.

“That tiny mound o’ snow ain’t gonna save you, Teddy!” heckles Jedediah.

“You should learn to speak softly, yet carry a big stick,” replies Teddy calmly.

Thus the final snowball fight between Teddy, Sacagawea, Octavius, and Jedediah begins. It does not last for very long, but it feels as long as two hours for the participants. At the end of the fight, when all snowballs have been used and the relentless falling snow has frozen everyone, they decide to leave the battle at a tie. For they should all head home and thaw their chilled fingers.

“Thank you for the fun time,” says Sacagawea warmly.

“You too!” replies Jedediah. He grabs Octavius hand, and after they wave at Sacagawea and Teddy, they begin to walk back to Octavius’s home.

“Alright…” says Octavius slowly. “I do admit that that was fun.”

Jedediah claps his snow-covered gloves together. “I told you it would be! An’ now, if you’d like, we can jus’ go and relax.”

“I should like that, yes, at least for a while. Afterwards, if we can think of anything else, we can do other activities as well.”

Jedediah nods his head, and then they continue the rest of their trek back to Octavius’s home in silence, with the falling snow against their coats and beginning to build up. When they reach the door, Octavius goes to unlock it, and as he does so, Jedediah reaches forward and brushes a small mound of snow off of Octavius’s shoulder. Octavius glances back at Jedediah, and smiles.

In return, Octavius turns around to face Jedediah, and flicks a small build-up of snow off of Jedediah’s hat.

Jedediah laughs. “Thanks, boy. Now can we go inside?”

Octavius opens the door for Jedediah with a smile. “Of course.”

Jedediah steps inside, and Octavius follows right after. He closes the door, and then they head up towards Octavius’s apartment. They open another door, and then walk into his living room. Jedediah heads straight to the couch to sit down and then shuck off his extra attire, while Octavius loiters at the door, patiently pulling off of his boots and winter wear there.

“Yknow,” says Jedediah as he peels off his thick coat, “I should get stuck here durin’ a snowstorm more often.”

Octavius genuinely laughs. “You think so?”

Jedediah nods his head after gathering all of his winter gear and rising to his feet to put it away. “Yeah! I had fun outside, ev’n though I only got a glimpse o’ your college.”

Octavius gazes out of his window. “Perhaps it is a good thing that we got back when we did…”

Jedediah’s eyes follow Octavius’s gaze to the window, where snow is rapidly swirling around in the wind, coating everything in sight in frozen flakes. Visibility has gone down quite a bit since they stepped inside, and it seems like the rate of snowfall has increased as well. The sight only makes Jedediah smiles. “We’re jus’ lucky when we’re together!”

Octavius suppresses a smiles. “We are?”

  
“Of course!” exclaims Jedediah. He pauses for a moment as they walk over to the couch and sit down together. “Of course we are, an’ it’s because we have each other.”


	6. The Calm after a Storm

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Oct and Jed share a house, and Jed has to comfort Oct after he has a nightmare.

Gazing around the room, the corners of Octavius’s mouth tug upwards into a gentle smile. Sure, he has slept and been in the room many many times before, but it never ceased to amaze him that they were actually able to do this. That he and Jedediah were actually able to stay together long enough to graduate college and share a house together.

Octavius’s thoughts are disrupted as Jedediah walks past him. He sits down on their bed, and hangs his hat on the headboard. He turns back towards Octavius and smiles. “Y’gonna join me?”

Octavius gently smiles back. He nods his head. “In a moment.”

Slowly walking away from their room, he goes into their kitchen for a moment to retrieve a quick drink before going to bed. His feet patter against the linoleum flooring as he makes his way to the kitchen and to a cabinet to retrieve a glass. He then pours himself some water, leans against the counter, and takes a small sip. Octavius slowly paces around in a circle in the kitchen, and stops in front of a window. He places his glass down for a moment so that he can open the shades, and then he picks that glass back up. Taking another sip of water, Octavius smiles.

He and Jedediah had been able to buy quite the nice house, as well as a very beautiful view of the outdoors. It was not what he had expected for them to be able to buy, but they stumbled upon a deal that they could not pass up and ended up with a better house than they had ever expected to buy. Although it was unexpected, it was embraced by both men as a blessing for the beginning of their life together. Now it is something that they are both thankful for.

Turning away from the window for a moment, Octavius drains the rest of the water from his glass cup and places it in the sink. He then goes back to the window and lowers the shades once again. Now he can go to sleep soundly with Jedediah. So he exits the kitchen, and goes back to the bedroom where he had left Jedediah.

Inside the room, Jedediah is lying down on their bed, with an arm strewn across his face. When he hears Octavius’s footsteps, he removes his arm and smiles sleepily at Octavius. “Welcome back.”

A small laugh escapes past Octavius’s lips. “You should have gone to sleep already.”

Jedediah shakes his head, blonde strands of hair splayed around on his pillow. “Naw, I had to wait for you.”

Octavius smiles, and walks over to his bed. He sits down, and then lays down next to Jedediah, facing him. Jedediah rolls over onto his side and smiles back at Octavius. “Now can you go to sleep?” asks Octavius softly.

Jedediah presses his nose up against Octavius’s nose, and then plants a tiny kiss on it. “Oh, all right.”

“Goodnight, Jed.” Octavius gently says.

Jedediah stretches his legs, and lets out a noiseless yawn. “Night, Oct.”

Octavius stares at the wall for a few minutes, trying to empty his mind of all the stress and events of the day. This way, he can fall asleep without his mind keeping him up for hours, rendering him restless and more likely to wake up Jedediah if he cannot fall asleep. At some point, his eyes flutter closed, and sleep overtakes his mind.

The image of a man standing in front of a statue fills Octavius’s dream. He calls out to Octavius in a familiar voice, but in a voice that does not match the identity of the man. Octavius blinks his eyes in surprise, and the image shifts into two men--both of whom he knows. Before he can process what just happened or where he even is, the images begin to speak venomous words.

A small gasp escapes his mouth as he receives what they are saying. What they have always thought. What they never told him. Octavius takes a step forward, but the floor underneath him buckles and he falls, tumbling through the air until he lands in a grassy area. He groans, and slowly rises from the ground.

Looking around the area that his mind has put him in, he sees that two armies are standing opposite of each other, weapons at ready, waiting for the orders to charge at each other. Without his own weapons or his armor, Octavius feels defenseless. With wild eyes and a pounding heart, he scrambles to his feet and searches for a way out of the middle of the fight. But before he is able to figure anything out, one of the Generals that looks frighteningly similar to himself, yells out a command. Octavius finds himself in the midst of a battle, when he hears someone call out his name.

“Octavius?”

The shuffling of sheets causes Octavius to open his eyes, and his eyesight is quickly filled with the dazzling sight of blue eyes. He lets out a shaky breath, and the man with the blue eyes—Jedediah, yes, it must be him, and he must not be dreaming anymore—presses a hand against his forehead.

“O-oct, you’re forehead is real hot, are you all right?”

“I-I think…” breathes Octavius, trying to calm himself down from the faces and images that he had seen in his dream.

“Was it a nightmare, partner?”

Octavius slowly nods his head, and then rests it against his pillow. He did not think that his mind was able to conjure up such devious dreams. His routine before falling asleep did not work this time, apparently. “It was—”

Jedediah shakes his head. “You ain’t have to tell me ‘bout it if you don’t want to remember it.”

A tiny smile appears of Octavius’s face. “All right,” he gently says.

Jedediah gestures for Octavius to sit up, so he does. And when he does, Jedediah pulls him into his side of the bed, and comfortingly wraps his arms around Octavius. “It wasn’t real,” whispers Jedediah, “You’re okay.”

“I-I know…”

Jedediah gently smiles. “I know you know that now...but you should still know that you’re safe.”

“Yes, yes, I understand.”

“An’ I’m here for you, y’know? You ain’t gotta hesitate to jus’ wake me an’ say-”

Octavius softly laughs, the skin in the corners of his eyes crinkling together. “I understand, Jed. I know. I am all right.”

Jedediah huffs, and straightens out a stray piece of hair on Octavius’s head. “Jus’ makin’ sure.”

Octavius squirms his way out of Jedediah’s grasp, and lays back down on his side of the bed. “Do you wish to go back to sleep now…?”

Jedediah nods his head. “If you’re okay with that. And if y’sleep too.”

“Of course, I shall try to fall back asleep.”

Jedediah emits a yawn. “Goodnight again, Oct.”

Octavius faces Jedediah, and runs his fingers through the blonde, fluffy hair of his boyfriend. He wouldn’t ask for anyone else to help him through the night. “Goodnight, Jed.”

 


End file.
